Six members of The Little Feet Dance Company were invited to perform at the U.S. Stream International Arts and Cultural Festival at Zankel Hall located in Carnegie Hall NYC on February 21.
Monroe-Woodbury senior Emily Hashim, juniors Lia Pisello and Alexandra McConnell, sophomore Macy Benza, and freshmen Evelyn Morris and Darya Elisseenko all performed.
According to the Carnegie Hall website, this event celebrated global artistic collaboration through cultural music around the world. The event also highlighted traditions by a diverse group of performances. Other groups included were the NJ Korea Dance Academy and NYIVY Korean Performing Arts Youth Group. The founder of the non-profit organization invited the dance company to perform, as this is the second time the event has been presented at Carnegie Hall, while the first one was held in 2023.
The dancers were asked about their experience and thoughts about the trip. Senior, Emily Hashim said, “My favorite thing about going there was that I got to experience it with some of the best, talented people I know. I was able to have this once in a lifetime opportunity with these friends that I’ve had for years.”
Junior Lia Pisello said, “This experience has affected my future in dance because it has shown me a professional side of performing and what performing might be like if I continued to dance in college or as a career.”
Junior Alexandra McConnell mentioned she felt very excited to finally make it on the stage she’s always wanted to perform on.
Little Feet Dance Company is directed by Joanna Markowitz, owner of Orange County School Of Dance, which has locations in Monroe and Highland Mills. Markowitz began her teaching career over 50 years ago, and began the Little Feet Dance Company in 1996. Markowitz felt very good about the performance and said, “It made me proud, I was a professional dancer in New York City for 11 years and I think they performed very professionally and not just on a student level.”
The dancers will also be featured in the Korean Times New York newspaper.
